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Katy Perry reunites with Robert Ackroyd - report

By:
WENN.com
Jun 03, 2014

Katy Perry has reconciled with Florence + The Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd almost two years after they split, according to a new report. The Firework hitmaker dated the British musician in 2012 following the disintegration of her marriage to Russell Brand the previous year (11).
Their romance fizzled out after several months and Perry began a new relationship with rocker John Mayer, but she has reportedly reunited with Ackroyd, with reports suggesting they were seen kissing at an afterparty for her Prismatic tour date in London over the weekend (30May-01Jun14).
A source tells Britain's The Sun, "Katy and Rob seemed to be very much back together at her party on Saturday night. They were inseparable, kissing, flirting and cuddling away in front of the roadies, celebs and friends at the bash. There were a fair few famous faces in the room but Katy and Rob only had eyes for each other."
Perry split from Mayer earlier this year (14).

In Baz Luhrmann's lavish adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are transported from 2013 to 1922 in large part thanks to costume designer Catherine Martin's elegant creations. But Hollywood was hip to the appeal of 1920s flapper fashion long before Gatsby hit the big screen.
From Christina Aguilera to Evan Rachel Wood to Rihanna, these eight starlets would be right at home in Luhrmann's film. They fit in so well, in fact, we dropped them right into the story.
GALLERY: 8 Stars Who Stole Their Style from The Great Gatsby
Follow Abbey On Twitter @AbbeyStone
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The new trailer for Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby features the explosion of color, larger than life sets, and extravagant costumes we have come to expect from the director and have so far seen associated with his latest film. But the trailer also shines a spotlight on a sense that has so far been neglected: hearing. After much talk of the Jay-Z-helmed soundtrack (rumors of Jay scoring the entire film have been put to rest) we are finally given a listen to some of the heavy-hitters who will lend their musical talents to the film.
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The trailer opens with a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back in Black" by Jay-Z's No. 1 gal Beyoncé and Outkast's André 3000. As R&amp;B beat subsides, Lana Del Rey's distinctive dulcet whine takes over. "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" Del Rey sings, and it's the perfect melancholy sound to compliment F. Scott Fitzgerald's complex story of emotional intrigue.
Florence + the Machine kick things up in a notch in the trailer's final third. Singing about the story's real antihero, the green light, the rock band's driving beat and swelling, building chorus escalates the film's mystery, suspense, and drama to almost unbearable levels. Even those unfamiliar with Fitzgerald's story can tell from this trailer that something has got to give, and it's not going to be pretty.
RELATED: Jay-Z to Compile 'The Great Gatsby' Soundtrack
Check out the trailer below. The Great Gatsby swings into theaters May 10.
Follow Abbey On Twitter @AbbeyStone
[Photo Cred: Warner Bros.]
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Welcome to The Voice quarterfinals, everyone — and boy what a journey it’s been. These 12 remaining contestants have come a long way from their days of singing to the backs of revolving chairs. Now they’re singing directly to America for their votes. In other words, our babies are all grown up!
But with great vocals come great responsibility. Now that we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of the competition every moment counts, leaving very little room for error. And in a surprise twist, it’s revealed that no coach is guaranteed to have a contestant of their own in the finale, which means it could be anyone’s game. Yup, it’s survival of the fittest, my friends, and these guys are looking for your votes now more than ever. So who could (and couldn’t) handle the pressure? Find out below!
First up to the mic was Michaela Paige, who sang a solid rendition of Pink’s popular hit “Blow Me (One Last Kiss).” She looked like a rock star, she sounded like a rock star, and she’d probably party like a rock star if it wasn’t for that pesky drinking age (she’s only 16, remember!). Basically it was an all-around impressive performance, forcing me to overlook the fact that Glee covered that exact same song just last week (I liked her version better, by the way). And it seemed like the judges did too. Christina complimented her on her vocal strength and energy while Blake praised her dedication and pleaded for America to send votes her way (of course, he’s probably a little biased on that matter). So good for her!
Next on deck was Dez Duron, who proved that he’s way more than just a pretty face while singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Lauren Hill. It’s sweet and soulful and makes my inner-teen heart soar. (Seriously, I’m just a few steps away from putting this guy’s face all over my bedroom wall. Don’t judge me.) Sure, he may not have the extensive vocal range found in some of his fellow competitors, but he’s definitely making himself be heard in all the right ways. Cee Lo called him the total package and Adam remarked that this was his best performance yet. No doubt about it, we’re not taking our eyes off of this one anytime soon.
Adriana Louise was up next and sang “Good Girl” by Carrie Underwood. The song was fine — complete with all the Christina Aguilera essentials (runs, pitch inflections, vocal belting, etc.) — but the moment that got everyone's attention was when she seductively strolled over to Adam Levine’s seat and began serenading him. Seriously, she was only inches away from his face! You guys, I haven’t been this jealous since I discovered that Channing Tatum is a married man. It’s just not fair! Needless to say, the judges loved it, so at least we know this girl’s feminine whiles are strongly in tact.
Meanwhile, Cody Belew got in touch with his diva side by belting out a powerful rendition of Tina Turner’s “The Best,” sending both the crowd and judges into squeals of delight. Blake remarked that he’s meant to be on stage, which is certainly true. He’s great at energizing a crowd, but I fear his vocals just aren’t strong enough to be a frontrunner in this competition. (It is called The Voice, after all.) But he's certainly a lot of fun to watch.
Then came Amanda Brown’s performance of “Spectrum (Say My Name)" by Florence and the Machine. This girl is hard not to love simply because she puts so much emotion and feeling into everything she sings. However, I’m not sure if this was necessarily the right song choice for her (she sounded a little pitchy during her A Capella transitions). But if we’re looking with her track record overall, I’d say she has the potential to be a true superstar. When it comes to singing shows like this, I try not to judge too harshly on one bad song choice. Let’s just hope America feels the same way.
Bryan Keith put on a soulful rendition of Amy Winehouse’s popular hit song, “Back to Black.” It’s a new, refreshing sound that we really haven’t seen from Bryan before, but I absolutely loved it. He reminded me of a suave, raspy, modern-day Frank Sinatra. Our generation could really use a cool music style like that, so I hope this guy is around for keeps. Christina and Blake were so impressed with his performance that they named him the new lead singer on Team Adam. Looks like someone's got the moves like Jagger Sinatra! (I should really start patenting this stuff).
Cassadee Pope put her vocal chops to the test singing, “Behind These Hazel Eyes” by Kelly Clarkson, but her hard work more than paid off. She managed to hit some incredibly challenging notes, making the crowd go wild. Between the vocals and her purple hair streaks, it honestly felt like I was witnessing a real life, professional rock concert. Christina called it her favorite performance from Cassadee thus far while Cee Lo awkwardly shared his affinity for hot chicks with guitars. Moving on…
Then came Trevin Hunte who sang, “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. Even before he started singing you knew Trevin was going to kill it out there. And he did. Like always. There’s really nothing else to say at this point other than once again point out what an incredible voice Trevin has. And he’s just as lovable as he is talented (like one of those big teddy bears that you just want to squeeze and never let go). No one deserves to be in the competition more than this guy. I would even go so far as to call him Cee Lo’s secret weapon and could very well go on to win this competition entirely.
Melanie Martinez was up next and performed “Cough Syrup” by Young the Giant. This just goes to show how important song choice is. It fit perfectly with her vocal range and really highlighted the beautiful quality of her raspy, unique sound. I liked it so much I didn’t even mind the bow in her hair this week (which is really saying something). And the judges had very similar opinions. Blake commented that she has the most unique voice in the competition while Christina gave her props for not going over the top with her performance to try to impress people. That’s certainly true, but didn’t it seem a little ironic coming from Christina? Either way, it was definitely the best performance we’ve seen from her so far.
Next up was Nicholas David who has always been a source of confusion for me. I guess I’ve really just never understood his appeal. He doesn’t have a bad voice by any means, but it’s not one that I can see folks lining up to listen to in concert. Last night, he chose to sing “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News, which led to pretty lackluster results. It seemed like he was having a hard time keeping up with the song itself, making it one of the least impressive performances of the night. But since the judges are pretty much only handing out compliments at this point in the game, they chose to give him nothing but positive feedback — aside from calling him strange (helpful!). Regardless, I’m not sure how much longer this guy will last in this competition.
There are just some songs contestants should never touch — Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” being one of them. I mean, it’s practically the Titanic theme song, so you’re just asking for your performance to sink (sorry, I just couldn’t help myself). But in all seriousness, you just shouldn’t mess with a Celine classic. However, apparently nobody gave that particular memo to Sylvia Yacoub, who tackled the song the best she could. It was an admirable attempt, but can in no way compare to its predecessor. Sorry Sylvia, but America will never let go of the original.
And last, but certainly not least, came Terry McDermott who belted out yet another great performance, this time singing Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” As usual, it was fantastic, which is something I’ve come to love about this guy: he’s always so dependable. He knows what kind of singer he is and he sticks with it (don’t mess with a good thing, right?). He’s a classic rock star and deserves to make it to the finals. Plus, I haven’t had my fill of that adorable Scottish accent yet.
But like it or not, two artists will go home Tuesday night regardless of what team they’re on. From here on out, the judges will play absolutely no part in the decision process whatsoever. It’s completely America’s call. So what do you think, folks? Based on last night’s performances, who deserves to be in the Top 10? Sound off on your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tune in Tuesday night for the live results show!
Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyBean0415
[Photo credit: Trae Patton/NBC]
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Ruh roh, No Doubt is in trouble (with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Politically Correct!). After releasing the music video for their single "Looking Hot" on Saturday, the band got some major flack for including what some viewers felt were racist images of Native Americans. In the video, which has now been taken offline (but stills of which can still be seen on E!'s website), Gwen Stefani and her band are depicted wearing Native American garb and fighting cowboys. In addition to removing their video from the Internet, No Doubt posted an apology note on their website. They said, As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history. Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people. This is of great concern to us and we are removing the video immediately. The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness. We sincerely apologize to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are.No Doubt is undoubtedly (ha!) not the first to anger their fans with a video that is deemed racist. Here are a bevy of other music videos that outraged viewers upon their release.
Florence and the Machine's "No Light, No Light"
Viewers and publications, such as Jezebel, called Florence and the Machine's depiction of Voodoo as a primitive witchcraft as racist. Jezebel said the video "feels like colonialism-promoting propaganda."
Madonna's "Like a Prayer"
Madonna caused an uproar by casting a black man to play Jesus in her 1989 video. Everyone from Pepsi to the Vatican had an opinion.
The Vapor's "Turning Japanese"
While people continue to debate the meaning behind the 1980 hit by British rock band The Vapors (is it really about masturbation?), it's clear that something is a little off about the video and lyrics. Guitarist Rob Kemp says, "It's a love song about somebody who had lost their girlfriend and was going slowly crazy, turning Japanese." So, why exactly is going crazy synonymous with turning Japanese? Something must be getting lost in translation.
Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us"
The New York Times slammed Jackson for using antisemitic slurs in his 1995 song "They Don't Care About Us." Jackson responded by saying his vocabulary was chosen deliberately to highlight the pain of discrimination. Even so, he issued a public apology and rerecorded the song with new lyrics (changing "Jew me" to "do me" and "kike me" to "strike me").
Follow Abbey Stone on Twitter @abbeystone
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It's now been four days since Katy Perry and Russell Brand's marriage has been officially laid to rest. Are the two mourning their relationship, or have they moved on? We check in on how Brand and Perry are faring in the wake of their divorce.
Russell Brand Reacts
Brand has greeted his divorce head-on with a bevy of media appearances and interviews. With a movie (Rock of Ages) currently in theaters and his new comedy show, Brand X, airing on FX, it makes sense that Brand is making the promotional press circuit. However, he has been surprisingly open about his marriage in the days following his divorce's finalization. And, despite one jab at Perry while filming Brand X, Brand's strategy so far has been to take the high road.
About that jab. UK newspaper The Sun reports that Brand entered into a lighthearted verbal sparring match with a woman in the audience who shared his wife's name. “Anyway, enough of you," Brand is reported as saying, "I’ve had enough arse-ache from people called Katy in the last year.”
Since then, Brand has been keeping to civil remarks while on the record. In an interview on Piers Morgan Tonight on Tuesday, Brand stuck with the outpouring of "love and positivity" for Perry he offered up on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show back in May. "Of course I still feel great feelings of compassion and warmth for Katy," Brand told Morgan.
And then, this morning in an interview with Howard Stern on Sirius/XM radio, Brand spoke the most candidly (and politely) about his ex-wife to date. "For the record, when we got married it was, 'I've just got to. I've got to marry her, I love her so much.' And then we got married and I thought, 'Okay, this isn't really working out.'" When Stern pried for more dirt, Brand simply said, "I don't want anything to hurt her. She's younger than me, she's a young woman and she's beautiful and she's sensitive and I care about her deeply... I don't want to be too glib... She'll read it and she'll be sad and I don't want that."
Brand did confirm for Stern, however, that the rumors linking him romantically to Isabella Brewster, the younger sister of Dallas star Jordana Brewster, are true. "Some things in the newspaper aren't true. Other things, like the crossword, are true," he said coyly before following up with, "That is true, actually." But, while Brand admits to dating Brewster, she's not the only lady friend he's been entertaining. "For the moment I'm just kind of enjoying the freedom of [being single]," Brand told Stern.
Katy Perry Reacts
While Brand has been opening up to the press, Perry has found solace in the company of her friends. First she let loose at friend and stylist Johnny Wujek's '90s roller-skate birthday party over the weekend (where she donned a fantastically nostalgic ensemble), and then on Monday she hit up a karaoke bar, where she was caught on video gushing, "I love my best friend!"
Perry may be keeping tight-lipped to the press this week, but she did comment on her divorce — albeit in a vague way — to MTV News in an interview for Katy Perry: Part of Me. "It's not about the problem it's how you solve it. If I can be an example, showing people that they don't have to lay down and die if they've been thrown a curve ball, then that's great. If I can help someone out because they feel like the only loner in the world or the only person going through the situation and then they see me and are inspired to keep moving forward, then I've done my job." Perry also commented on her failed relationship with Brand in her "Wide Awake" music video. In the video, Perry navigates a dark labyrinth with a brunette little girl — it's not a stretch to say that she's a younger version of Perry — until she arrives in an enchanted garden where her Prince Charming awaits. But instead of falling into his arms, Perry punches him in the face. There might as well be a name tag on the prince that reads "Russell." Watch the video below. On the dating front, Perry has been linked to Florence + The Machine guitarist Robert Ackroyd. But, in an interview with USA Today, Perry denies her relationship with Ackroyd, stating that dating right now would be inappropriate. "That's not even appropriate to label," she said. "There are times I go out and meet people and flirt, but it's not really appropriate to have anything serious." It remains to be seen whether, now that her divorce is finalized, Perry will decide to go public with her love life once again.
Follow Abbey Stone on Twitter @abbeystone
[Photo Credit: David Edwards/DailyCeleb.com]
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It's been 20 years since the MTV Movie Awards made its way onto America's television screens, and yet it still manages to surprise us year after year with an array of unpredictable events. Sure, the occasionally hilarious acceptance speech is nothing to be scoffed at, but one of the biggest highlights of this particular awards show is its reputation for an over-abundance of PDA.
Whether it's the re-creation of the epic romance from The Notebook or a highly inappropriate groping session between two Friends With Benefits, any affection is fair game. So in honor of some of the most memorable lip locks in Hollywood Award Show history, here are our favorite OMG PDA MTV Movie Awards moments (Okay, we'll give it a rest with the acronyms) for your viewing pleasure.
Warning: These clips can be rather... stimulating. Children, please turn around and walk away from the computer slowly.
Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake's "Touching" Moment (2011)
Nothing puts romantic rumors to rest like grabbing each other's private parts on national television. As you can see, these two have a strictly professional relationship. Yep, this is just another day at the office.
Vampire and Werewolf Lip-Lock (2011)
Though the kiss was originally intended to be between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, the Twilight hunk took matters into his own hands and shared a steamy lip-lock with the hottest werewolf this side of Forks: Taylor Lautner. Someone pinch me because I think we just entered every Twi-hard fan's dream world.
Next: Oh my, I'm turning Scarlett.Sandra Bullock Orally Attacks Scarlett Johansson (2010)
Sandra Bullock's marriage to Jesse James may have taken a turn for the worse in 2010, but her presence in the lime light was just as strong as ever. Not only did she plant a wet one on Meryl Streep at the Critics Choice Awards in January, but she also shared a sensual embrace with Scarlett Johansson at the MTV Movie Awards that same year. Try to keep yourselves under control, gentlemen.
Tom Cruise and Jennifer Lopez Get Down and Dirty (2010)
Tom Cruise (or should I say Les Grossman) proved that he could bust a move with the best of them, even going up against the famous J. Lo booty. Their jaw-dropping, hip-thrusting, gyrating dance routine was one of the year's biggest highlights. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch the video below and begin laughing hysterically.
Next: The audience gets Robbed.Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's "Almost" Kiss (2009)
When these two crazy kids won for Best Kiss in 2009, Twi-hards everywhere watched and waited for the famous lip-lock to occur live for all to see. But Stewart had other plans and decided to Rob us from the special moment entirely. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that this move really (you guessed it) sucked!
Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell's Makeout Session (2007)
This dynamic comedy duo took home the Golden Popcorn trophy, but only after reenacting their passionate make-out session from Talladega Nights. Naturally. Would we really expect anything less from these guys?
MTV Shows
Next: If you're a bird then I'm a bird.Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' Kiss (2005)
Anything involving Ryan Gosling is worth watching, but this reenactment of the famous Notebook kiss is enough to make even the biggest Gosling haters (do those even exist?) swoon. These two certainly knew how to play to the crowd. (Kristen Stewart, please take note.)
The Brady Bunch Goes Wild (1993)
This is the story... of a screwed up family. In 1993, the original cast of The Brady Bunch did spoofs about the most popular movies of the year, which resulted in Carol (Florence Henderson) and Greg Brady (Barry Williams) — former on-screen mother and son — reenacting a romantic scene from The Bodyguard. It was disturbing, yet still riotously funny.
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And now, welcome to the Glee American Idol Variety Hour: 60 minutes (or approximately 43 without the commercials) of broadcast programming whose only purpose is to make us “ooh” and “ahh” while only establishing a minimal emotional connection. Of course, if this was American Idol, that connection would build over the course of the season as we reached the live shows while barreling towards the epic finale of the season. But because this is the broken-down, exhausted jalopy that is Glee, we’re puttering along in that audition phase of the Fox singing competition. Which, if you’re an Idol viewer like myself, tends to get old after the first week. Contrived drama between auditioners? Check. Mean judge? Check. Group week mania before finally pulling it all together at the last minute? Check. Predictable outcome because of all the ridiculously easy-to-read hints dropped throughout the episode? Check. And finally, the closer featuring a Kelly Clarkson ballad? Ch-ch-check. Now if only Ryan Seacrest could have stopped by to keep the episode on track.
Exhibit A: Auditions Circuit
The big plot this week was, of course (because Fox and Lea Michele would not let us forget however hard we tried), Kurt and Rachel’s big auditions for NYADA, and as we saw very blatantly in the previews for the episode, things weren’t going to go right for Mini Babs. Leading up to the big A, we see Kurt preparing for his moment with a rehearsal of “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. And between the fire hazard — er, candelabra set design — and Artie wheeling around the stage fanning the mist, we knew ol’ Porcelain wasn’t going to stick with this song. Besides, he does know that for most auditions, he’s lucky to get a dinky piano accompaniment, right? Arts schools don’t let you stage an off-Broadway production to get your point across.
Kurt has the brilliant, totally sound idea to switch his audition number to “Not the Boy Next Door,” as famously performed by Hugh Jackman in amazing gold lamé pants in The Boy From Oz. Rachel’s brain suddenly suffers a cataclysmic case of the Midwest conservatism they’ve been fighting for three seasons and she decides to “save” Kurt by breaking their pact to not speak to each other until after the auditions so she can convince him to stick with the safe choice, the Phantom song. A: The audition judge is from New York, and therefore open to expressions of sexuality and personality like the number from Oz. B: Kurt sings “Music of the Night” like a lost little puppy — albeit a super adorable lost little puppy.
When it comes time to audition — shocker — Kurt has gold pants on under his Phantom cape and his “swans” at the ready for an impromptu performance of “Not the Boy Next Door.” Unsurprisingly, it’s amazing and Whoopi the NYADA judge loves it. Of course, because this episode is (indirectly) brought to you by American Idol, Whoopi takes a second to pull the old audition fake-out on Kurt. Giant pause, heavy breathing, then boom: Immense praise.
Cut to Rachel’s audition, which, as we saw approximately 3,500 times on Fox this week (don’t quote me on that — math’s not my forte), is not going to go well. Rachel takes her own advice and sticks with the Barbra Streisand song we’ve heard her sing 3,500 times (although that may be because we went through a phase after we paid 99 cents for it on iTunes), but what’s this? She forgets the words… twice. And Whoopie, in all her turbaned glory, cuts off our young heroine and informs her that this is the end of her NYADA dreams. Of course, it’s completely absurd that Rachel would forget anything. You’ve seen the way she wakes up: Like a musical theater mummy with a smile that could burn through all the sadness in the world. (It’s a little creepy.) But like an Idol audition, the plot set the overconfident egomaniac up to fail and it had to deliver.
Next: Glee finds its Simon Cowell.
[Image: Fox]
Exhibit B: The Mean Judge
Whoopi Goldberg’s NYADA dean Carme Tibideaux is the Simon Cowell of the art school audition circuit. Kurt and Rachel trade stories of her vicious tirades just before they take the stage for judgment. Obviously, the meaner streak comes out when Rachel flubs her whole audition and Whoopi tells her that if she forgets the lyrics on Broadway, the understudy takes her job, as she coolly walks out and turns the lights out on the devastated could-be starlet.
But Whoopi really brings it home when she offers up high praise to Kurt. Even Simon knows, being so brutally honest only works if you occasionally dole out servings of some very serious praise. And telling Kurt that Hugh Jackman would have been impressed with his performance may have been an overstatement, but it certainly fits the bill.
Exhibit C: Group Week
Next stop: Idol’s infamous group week, wherein a gaggle of singers fight and cry and fear failure until they get it together in the 11th hour. The Glee version of this comes when all the New Directions guys gather to muse over their concerns about Puck’s potential to flunk out of high school weeks before graduation, which is a plotline that really should have come up months ago. (If anyone has the potential to flunk out, it’s Puck.) Apparently, they all work out together too (except for Joe of the ridiculous dreads, who stands there like he’s afraid the free weights might bite him).
After Puck’s plan to pass Geography by seducing his teacher fails (and here you thought he’d worked out all his Mary Kay Letourneau wiggles) and he sings an unwieldy version of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” that is so powerful it makes 1980s groupies pop out of lockers, the Glee gang gathers to prep him just enough to pass his final exam. And by prep, I mean they all sing a rock version of “The Rain in Spain” and Puck consequently only knows the test answers that come from the lyrics of the My Fair Lady tune. Add in the “sob story” about his deadbeat dad showing up to ask him for money, inspiring him to graduate and become a better man, and you’ve got the perfect group week package.
Exhibit D: PSA/Sob Story
This week on the lesson-learning portion of Glee, we learn about the perils of domestic abuse. (I’m fairly certain they’re just pulling social issues out of a hat at this point.) Bieste comes to school with a shiner, and assuming no one could get the jump on Bieste, the glee club girls who aren’t stuck in a wheelchair or crying over a flubbed audition make jokes in the hallway about her getting clocked by her husband. To teach them a lesson for their heartlessness — which is actually an accurate depiction of how even the sweetest high school girls sometimes act among friends in the hallway — Sue, the co-advisor of the glee club, and her mini-me NeNe Leakes rope Bieste into a lesson for the girls. She asks them to turn a song into an empowerment anthem for women, and they screw it up on the first round. But we’ll get to that part in just a minute.
By the time the girls get it right with the song choice — Florence + the Machine’s “Shake It Out” — we find that Bieste was hit by her husband Cooter, and that while she told Sue she moved out to live with her sister, she’s really staying with the abuser and trying to work things out. And much like last week’s one-off treatment of the gender identification issue facing many teens, this quickie after-school special of the week treatment of such a huge issue like domestic abuse undermines the gravity of the topic. Out of nowhere Bieste has an abusive husband, Sue puts a glee-club bandaid on it, and she really thought that was the end of it? Once again, this show bites off a bigger topic than it can even fit between its tiny little molars. And once again, the series fails to lend the appropriate respect to the sensitive topic. Besides, they’ve got a truly disturbing issue ready and ripe for the picking: Can we tackle Will’s infantilism soon, please?
Next: And now for a very inappropriate Broadway number.
Exhibit E: Inappropriate Broadway Number
It’s a good thing Randy Jackson was too busy picking out a polka dot bowtie for tonight’s Idol to be around to see the Chicago number that the girls picked out to combat domestic abuse. (In case you don’t watch Idol auditions every year like I do, you should know that if there’s one thing Randy hates about auditions, it’s all the folks who come in and try to perform Broadway numbers for him and his fellow judges. No! Not the vibrato!)
This time, the inappropriateness wasn’t so much about genre as it was about tact, but we’ll let the slant connection slide. While Bieste is wrestling with her struggle with domestic violence, these ladies waltz up on stage in skimpy lingerie and sing “a song about crazy women in their panties killing men for chewing gum.” (For once, NeNe makes a damn good point.) Randy would probably have some misplaced metaphor about a fish to insert here right about now.
Exhibit F: Close with a Kelly Clarkson Ballad
After all is said and done — Puck miraculously passes his exam using only facts obtained from My Fair Lady, Kurt rocks his audition, the glee girls pat themselves on the back for singing an uplifting song, and Rachel blows her audition — we can’t escape the episode without a big emotional ballad to watch all the storylines get wrapped up with a bow. And what better way to pay homage to Idol than by closing with a Kelly Clarkson ballad, sung by Rachel and appropriately titled “Cry.” With this we get the Idol auditions one-two punch: rousing ballad courtesy of the show’s own success story (nepotism!) and an emotional sob story to send us on our merry way (but really beg us to come back and make sure that heartbreaking young person achieve their dream, by golly!).
And in closing, because there are still parts of this show that we love, some of the funny little moments that were the spoon full of sugar to help us swallow “Choke”:
--One of Rachel’s biggest fears is “Menstrual Bloat.”
--Brittany’s prom theme idea is “Aliens” and involves a probing booth.
--An A+ for the intro that hearkened back to Season 1’s wildly (terrifyingly) driven Rachel Berry.
--Finn knows something’s wrong with Puck because he hasn’t been logging onto any Call of Duty tourneys.
--Rachel can’t even lie to Kurt when he asks if he can sing “Music of the Night” as well as Michael Crawford.
--Bieste’s sister is named Denise Bieste, because of course she is.
--Puck gives himself the name “Puckgellan” to amp himself up for his geography test.
Did you see it all coming? Are you getting tired of the way the show throws emotional topics around in the plot? Do you think I’m nuts for finding all these connection to Idol? Have I just been watching too much Fox?
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler.
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Just in case Snow White and the Huntsman hasn't been chamber pop enough for you, Florence + the Machine are stepping in to ensure your satisfaction. A new video has been released for the upcoming dark cinematic twist on the classic fairy tale, featuring the indie rock band's song "Breath of Life," which appears on the Snow White and the Huntsman soundtrack.
The video features stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron in a handful of scenes that will surely prove to be some of SWATH's highlights, including Hemsworth's hammer-wielding, Theron's mirror-shattering and Stewart's... nap-taking. To be fair, it is a very dramatic-looking nap, with some very dramatic face-caressing courtesy of her handsome huntsman.
You can watch the Snow White and the Huntsman video here.
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[People]